Brazenly calling itself the “ultimate defense” for protecting passwords, documents, credit cards and all your other private stuff, FaceCrypt is being advertised as one of the most secure ways of controlling access to your iOS device.

Instead of asking for an alphanumeric password — or even Touch ID — FaceCrypt requests that users take a “selfie” to prove they are really the person they say they are.

An additional security option requires users to blink to prove they are human, so a person couldn’t bypass the system by holding up a headshot of someone else.

The app is the work of Jeremy Rose, a security expert with years of experience building biometric security applications for prisons, governments, police departments and corporations around the world.

“For those who do not want this sensitive information to ever be seen by others, FaceCypt offers multiple levels of security access,” the app makers explain.

“FaceCrypt works and protects with the blink of an eye (to avoid any fooling with a picture) and the basic app is just $4.99, while the plus version is $7.99. This amazing app is set to make waves in the industry because it contains enhanced biometric face-recognition technology along with foolproof encryption.

So regardless of whether you lose your device or use it on public Wi-Fi networks through which data can be breached, this application continues to protect all vital data.”

FaceCrypt uses what is described as an “unbreakable” 256-bit, industry-standard encrypted vault system, which allows users to store all their sensitive data in one centralized and safe location that only they can access.

The website does acknowledge, however, that poor lighting or facial hair can have a negative effect on recognition, so that Movember mustache you’ve been working on may have to go!

This won’t be a hit until, A, Apple allows apps to have access to the basic iOS security framework for all apps on the i devices and login screens, or B, Apple decides they want to implement this concept themselves into the basic iOS security framework on all iDevices. As an app developer, I toyed with this idea myself, however limiting it to just this app, no matter how great the “vault” is, is the death nail, people want the entire phone secured this way, not just one app, also knowing that Apple, at anytime, can add this concept themselves is another reason the investment in the work is too whacky and risky in my opinion. I am surprised this company decided to take the risk. With that said, the actual recognition engine must have been allot of work and while I have not tried it yet, kudos to them on that part.

About the author

Luke Dormehl is a UK-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems, And Create More and The Apple Revolution, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme, and other publications. He'd like you a lot if you followed him on Twitter.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address) | Read more posts by Luke Dormehl.